The Ministry of Communication and Informatization held a meeting of the board. Date: 14.02.2011

The Ministry of Communication and Informatization held a meeting of the board “On the results of the socio-economic development of the industry for the period from January to December 2010, the tasks in order to achieve the estimated targets for 2011 and the reports of heads of organizations on the implementation of the development business plans”. The meeting was attended by Anatoly Kalinin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus.

In his opening speech, Nikolai Pantelei, Minister of Communications and Informatization, set tasks for the organizations of the industry for a new five-year period. Thus, by 2015, nine innovative projects will be implemented, the cost of Internet services and the tariffs for international roaming will be reduced. The Republic of Belarus should join the group of countries with the highest ICT Development Index according to the assessment system of the International Telecommunication Union and the UN.

According to the Minister, the works will be intensified on the transition to multiservice telecommunication networks based on a single hardware/software platform (IMS-platform), further development of terrestrial digital TV broadcasting and cellular mobile telecommunication services (building of 4G networks), and networks of postal establishments and logistics system, industrial process automation will be optimized.

This year we need to ensure a rise of wages, qualitative provision of communication services, to initiate the establishment of a modern telecommunication infrastructure designed to meet the requirements for communication services and information society development, and to draw up a list of basic electronic services.

Larisa Labkovich, Deputy Minister of Communications and Informatization, made a report at the board meeting.

Larisa Labkovich noted that long-term and medium-term programs — the Program of the Communication Development; the Program of the Innovation Development; the State Informatization Program «Electronic Belarus» — were implemented over the past five years.

Investments in equity related to the industry development amounted to more than 5.9 trillion roubles over the five years and increased 2.8 times as compared to the previous five years. With respect to the Ministry of Communications, the volume of investments amounted to more than 4 trillion roubles and increased 3 times as compared to the period from 2001 to 2005.

Telephone exchanges annually implemented in local network made it possible to increase the installed capacity up to 4 million numbers. Data network had rapid growth. Over the five years, the external Internet gateway had been extended more than 100 times and amounted to 67 Gbit/s.

The capacity of the broadband access equipment to the data network increased from 3 thousand to 1.5 million ports countrywide. The number of subscribers and users of the broadband Internet access amounted to 1.8 million. Wi-Fi and WiMAX wireless technologies have been implemented. RUE «Beltelecom» has launched IP-television service, which is available in all oblast and district centers of the Republic (the number of the subscribers throughout the country amounts to more than 220 thousand). Terrestrial digital TV broadcasting has been provided and its coverage has increased from 23% to 90% over the five years.

The coverage of mobile telecommunication services equaled to 97.8 percents of the country with a population of 99.7 percents. Total number of subscribers reached 10.3 millionandincreased5 times overthe five years. The level ofmobile penetrationinthe countryamounted to108.6subscribersper 100 inhabitants. Provision of mobile telecommunicationservicesof the third generation3G was launched, one additional radio frequency channel was allocated to each mobile operator,ensuringequal conditions for their activity.

Further development of postal services was ensured. In five years 757 million pieces of correspondence, 5 million packages, more than 1.5 billion newspapers and magazines were delivered to customers, more than 32 million money transfer and 107million pension payments were conducted.Automatizationofallpostal offices (3 745) was completed, development of asingleinformation networkwas ensured, the principle of «one window» was performed, ensuring provision of all types of services at one working place, the network of payment and information terminals was organized, anewservice «Hybrid mail» was launched.

Implementation of the State Informatization Program «Electronic Belarus» was completed. All 107 projects were performed. Departmental information systems were created in theHealth, Education Culture, Commerce industries. The distance learning system, the electronic declaration in customs and tax authorities were developed. The information-analytical and functional systems were created for the Governmental Authorities — the Presidential Administration, the National Assembly, the Council of Ministers, the State Control Committee.

The discussion of the final report of the board of the Ministry of Communications and Informatization was attended by Anatoly Kalinin, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus. He noted the importance of provision of the Communications and Informatization industry with young professional employees and set the tasks for improvement of this work.